Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses have been used, as medical image diagnostic apparatuses which have merits such as high operability and noninvasiveness (freedom from exposure), for current medical procedures to examine various biological tissues such as the heart, liver, kidneys, and mammary glands.
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits ultrasonic waves via an ultrasonic probe and receives ultrasonic waves (reflected waves) reflected by an internal tissue of a subject. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus generates ultrasonic images (B-mode images and Doppler images) representing the tissue structure and blood flow information inside a subject based on echo signals from the ultrasonic probe as still images or moving images in chronological order. Generated ultrasonic images are displayed on the monitor and stored in storage media such as IC memories and magnetooptical disks.
In ultrasonic image diagnosis, current and past ultrasonic images concerning the same subject are performed with comparative reading.
On comparative reading, a radiogram radiologist such as a doctor needs to observe a current ultrasonic image as a diagnosis target and a past ultrasonic image as a comparison target. As an ultrasonic image as a comparison target, for example, an ultrasonic image obtained by imaging the same region such as the liver is used. The radiologist uses a body mark as information to search past ultrasonic images for a desired ultrasonic image. A body mark is a schematic view showing the rough contact position and contact direction (in other words, the scanning position and scanning direction) of the ultrasonic probe relative to the subject. The body mark is stored in association with an ultrasonic image.
When displaying a stored past ultrasonic image on the monitor, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus also displays the body mark associated with the ultrasonic image. When searching for an ultrasonic image to be used for comparative reading, the radiologist visually perceives the state of a displayed ultrasonic image by referring to the body mark.
Repeated examination is sometimes performed for the same patient (for example, in an obstetrics and gynecology department, the same examination is repeated in chronological order). Alternatively, different subjects are sometimes examined by the same examination protocol. It is necessary to repeatedly input and display auxiliary diagnosis information (a character string, arrow, body mark, probe mark, and the like), which has been displayed on a subject or in an examination in the past, at the same place.
It is an object of the embodiment to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, ultrasonic image display apparatus, and ultrasonic image display method, which can reduce the operation load in inputting auxiliary diagnosis information.